Sunwing delay compensation: you now claim from WestJet

Updated October 18, 2026 · Checked against the regulations as current to September 30, 2026 · By LandedLate

Sunwing Vacations flights are operated by WestJet, so you claim from WestJet: $400, $700 or $1,000 per passenger. Sunwing Airlines made its last flight on May 28, 2025, so for its own flights the one-year deadline has passed. For a delay or cancellation within WestJet's control, claim on WestJet's form from 72 hours after you land; WestJet has 30 days to pay or explain.

Whether your own flight qualifies depends on its details: the reason the airline gave, how late you reached your destination and how much notice you had. Check it free at landedlate.ca/check.

Which airline you claim from

Your flight	Operated by	Where to claim
Sunwing Vacations, on or after May 29, 2025	WestJet	WestJet's claim form
Sunwing Airlines, on or before May 28, 2025	Sunwing Airlines	The one-year deadline has passed; if you claimed in time, you can still complain to the agency

The airline that operated the flight owes the compensation (section 2(1)). Both Sunwing Airlines and WestJet are on the agency's list of large Canadian airlines.

When WestJet has to pay, and when it doesn't

You're owed

The cause was within the airline's control and not for safety, you arrived 3+ hours late, and you were told 14 days or less before departure (section 12). The return flight into Canada counts.

Worth challenging

A maintenance problem labelled “safety”: in Anslow v. Sunwing the agency made Sunwing pay for a delay caused by a preventable maintenance failure.

Not owed

Weather that made flying unsafe, air traffic control or a security threat. You still get a new flight or a refund (section 18).

How to claim

Wait 72 hours after you land, then open WestJet's claim form. It asks for the six-letter WestJet reservation code, names as on the itinerary, and dates of birth. If you only have a Sunwing booking number, ask Sunwing for the WestJet code.
Take a screenshot before you submit: WestJet says a submitted claim can't be retrieved.
Claim before the first anniversary of the delay or cancellation (section 19(3)). WestJet says to expect a response within 30 days, with payment sent to the email on the claim. If it hasn't paid

Write my claim

Free. LandedLate takes no share of what the airline pays you.

Sunwing's record with the regulator

Anslow v. Sunwing (20-C-A-2023, February 24, 2023). A Cancún–Regina flight arrived hours late after a lavatory pipe froze and ruptured; Sunwing called it required for safety. The agency found it within Sunwing's control and ordered $400 per passenger. Maintenance and mechanical delays
$126,000 penalty (February 14, 2023) for not telling passengers the reason for delays and not giving updates every 30 minutes, December 16, 2022 to January 1, 2023.
$5,000 penalty (November 15, 2023) for not providing free alternate travel and not refunding unused tickets within 30 days.

If WestJet refuses or doesn't answer

Write back and ask for the specific cause and the evidence. You can file a free complaint with the Canadian Transportation Agency 30 days after your claim, or once it's refused. Expect a long wait: the agency says it may take more than 24 months before an officer reviews a complaint. WestJet delay compensation · Answering a refusal

Questions

Does Sunwing still have its own airline?

No. WestJet says the final commercial Sunwing Airlines flight was on May 28, 2025, and Sunwing says that for Sunwing Vacations customers travelling from May 29, 2025 onwards, "flights will be on board WestJet". The Sunwing Vacations brand continues; the airline doesn't.

Who pays compensation for a delayed Sunwing Vacations flight?

The airline that operated the flight (section 2(1)), which since May 29, 2025 is WestJet. The tour operator doesn't owe the compensation under the regulations; you claim on WestJet's form.

Can I still claim for a flight on Sunwing Airlines before it closed?

Almost certainly not. A claim for a delay or cancellation must be filed before the first anniversary of the flight (section 19(3)), and the last Sunwing Airlines flight was May 28, 2025, so that deadline passed on May 28, 2026 at the latest.

Does the return flight from Mexico or the Caribbean count?

Yes. The regulations cover flights to, from and within Canada (Canada Transportation Act, section 86.11(1)), so the flight home into Canada is covered as well as the flight out.

WestJet offered me Travel Bank credit. Can I use it on my next Sunwing package?

Not according to WestJet: it says Travel Bank credits can't be used to pay for Sunwing Vacation packages. You're entitled to money anyway, unless you choose another form in writing (section 21).

Sources

General information, not legal advice.